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HR’s Next Frontier: Hopes for a Revolutionary 2025

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HR's Next Frontier: Hopes for a Revolutionary 2025

What if eventful thoughts, calculated predictions, and realistic hopes could shape the future of technology? 

We asked this question, in essence, to a panel of influential tech leaders, focusing their vision on the year 2025. 

Their challenge: to identify or predict the single most impactful innovation, shift, transformation, or correction they’d like to see in the tech sector, and explain its significance. From revolutionizing AI to fostering a more inclusive tech ecosystem, their answers offer a compelling glimpse into the priorities driving the industry forward. 

Get ready to explore the transformative potential of 2025 through the eyes of those shaping its technological landscape.

Read on!

Matt Duffy
President, Carex Consulting Group

Dominant HR to Marketing Functions

It’s a unique and largely unpopular opinion… but here is one thought: I’d like to see Talent Acquisition shift from a dominant HR function to a Marketing function. 

Here’s why: Recruiting (not the tactical aspects of hiring) is inherently a marketing function, not HR. 

While it encompasses the human element, the function of recruiting is mostly centered around messaging, branding, market segmentation, consumer engagement, and of course follow up. These attributes are historically best designed, led, and executive by Marketing strategies. 

Throughout my career I have observed how these skills are rooted in Marketing – not to mention technology and strategy. 

Additionally, most people who obtain an HR Degree don’t go into HR to become recruiters – recruiting isn’t generally a destination of choice for many HR practitioners (which should tell us something).

It’s a skill set that is often underappreciated and developed in many Corporate HR departments. I believe our industry can stand to benefit from this suggested approach.

Matt Cholerton
Founder, Hito Labs

AI for Transparency

I’d like to see AI used comfortably to give applicants information about a company and role, and transparency about their application.

There is tons of wasted time and goodwill sharing info and aligning on a role. 

If candidates could have access to the info they needed quicker, it would make everyone happier.

Jason Lee
Chief, Chime Enterprise

More Than a Paycheck

We are inundated with opportunities to earn rewards in our everyday lives, from rewards for buying clothes on a retail website, to Starbucks stars for buying coffee and a scone, to flying to a vacation resort using your favorite airline miles credit card. 

No purchase is deemed too small to make us feel that we are valued and these merchants want us to come back for more.

People spend a lot of time at work, so why not let employees earn rewards too for their labors? 

This will become mainstream in 2025. 

Mark my words, you have to give employees more than a paycheck to make them feel valued.

Jean Chen
COO & CHRO, Mondressy

AI in Onboarding

In 2025, I’d love to see a major shift towards using AI to enhance the employee onboarding process. 

Imagine this: instead of generic checklists and manuals, you have AI-driven platforms creating personalized onboarding experiences for each new hire. These platforms could tailor content based on a person’s role, skill level, and interests, making the transition smoother and quicker. 

A practical tip here is to incorporate interactive, AI-generated simulations that allow new employees to navigate their roles in a virtual setting. This not only builds confidence but also boosts engagement from day one. 

Such a transformation can make onboarding less daunting and more exciting, helping new team members immediately feel like valuable parts of the organization. 

Plus, it allows HR teams to focus more on fostering a welcoming culture, rather than handling administrative details.

Gavin McMahon
Founder and Co-CEO, fassforward

A Product Mindset

In 2025, HR needs a product mindset, not a policy mindset. 

Static policies and annual performance reviews are HR relics. It’s time for HR to think like a product team: agile, data-driven, and focused on building a better employee experience. 

Great product teams live and die by user adoption, improving based on user feedback. HR should be no different. 

Employees are the “customers” of HR’s “products,” like onboarding, career development, and company culture. Success means refining these “products” continuously—not just enforcing compliance but creating an environment where employees thrive and businesses grow. 

HR with a product mindset stays ahead of the curve by being adaptive, indispensable, and designed for lasting impact.

David Frost
CCO-CEO, fassforward

Coaching for All

I believe the big opportunity for HR in 2025 is to make coaching accessible to all. 

Historically, executive coaching has been primarily focused on senior or high-potential leaders. AI is breaking down this barrier. 

At fassforward, we’re developing an AI-driven platform to scale our coaching tools while maintaining their depth and efficacy. This platform makes coaching available to our clients at all levels on their own time—whether they’re individual contributors, rising stars or senior leaders.

The potential impact is transformative. Companies can now:

  • Nurture talent earlier. Leadership development can begin long before someone takes on formal managerial responsibilities.
  • Build capabilities at scale. Employees can access tools and insights that improve their communication, creativity, and decision-making abilities.
  • Create a culture of continuous growth. Coaching no longer needs to be an occasional investment; it can become part of an organization’s everyday rhythm.
  • AI empowers HR organizations to develop future leaders proactively, creating a ripple effect of growth across teams and business units.

Paige Arnof-Fenn
Founder & CEO, Mavens & Moguls

Better Professionalism

I started a global branding and digital marketing firm 23 years ago and I have interviewed candidates throughout my career from when I worked in large Fortune 500 companies to early stage startups and now as an entrepreneur.

My vote is for better manners and overall professionalism on both sides of the equation. Ideally neither the candidate nor the hiring manager or recruiter would be guilty of ghosting.

A lot of time and energy can be wasted when there is a lack of  transparency or an element of gamesmanship so just be a straight shooter for best results.

Silvia Angeloro
Executive Coach, Editor in Chief, Resume Mentor

Rethink Mental Wellness

In 2025, I hope HR will dramatically rethink mental wellness as a key organizational strategy, rather than a checkbox exercise. 

My deepest wish is that we will eventually treat emotional resilience as seriously as we do financial performance. I’ve seen far too many smart people silently burn out, their potential squandered by corporate environments that demand constant output without genuine human empathy.

The revolution I want is not the addition of another wellness program but rather a fundamental shift in how we conceive human capability and emotional sustainability.

My objective is simple but profound: to create working cultures in which professionals may breathe, be honestly vulnerable, and admit their human shortcomings without fear of professional repercussions. 

When we mainstream conversations about mental boundaries and emotional wellness, we not only retain talent but also release tremendous human potential.

Justin Clifford
CEO, Bereave

A Genuine Commitment to Address Bereavement

Recognition and understanding that bereavement leave is about more than a few days off, a dusty policy, and an 800 number for a few free counseling sessions. 

These random acts of bereavement support won’t cut it in 2025 and beyond. 

Grief related productivity loss in the US is reported to be >$100bn/year. 51% of people who suffer a close loss leave a company within a year. There are real business issues because these are real human issues. 

Bereavement at work is about mental health support. It’s about equity and inclusion. It’s about culture. And says a ton about who a company really is. 

Companies should be thinking about manager and HR training, putting frameworks in place, and having a plan to support employees in their moments of greatest need.

Natania Malin Gazek
Founder & Principal, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Strategy, NMGazek

Pay Transparency

I’m ready to witness a transformation in how we talk about pay transparency. Too often it’s misunderstood as a burdensome task that will brew friction between staff. 

In fact, when done strategically (read: in thoughtful phases, with clear communication and managerial support), it’s one of the most powerful tools available for recruiting and retaining more demographically diverse teams, helping staff across underrepresented and marginalized identity groups feel a greater sense of inclusion and belonging at work. 

Plus, it boosts staff morale across the board significantly. Legislation requiring salary bands to be posted in job listings has paved the way for this. 

The next steps are for leaders to publish salary bands and their associated competencies internally so that staff better understand what is expected of them at their level and what skills they’d need to develop to grow in their role or earn promotions. 

Often leaders think staff understand this already, but moving towards increased pay transparency is consistently what actually creates alignment and eases staff frustrations.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing their insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRspotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Plans and Predictions for 2025: What Will Change HR for the Better?

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Plans and Predictions for 2025: What Will Change HR for the Better?

The HR niche is in constant flux, driven by relentless innovation and evolving workplace and workforce needs. As we kickstart 2025, it’s a critical time to reflect on the trajectory of HR and consider what changes are most needed to ensure a positive and impactful future. 

To gain insight into this crucial question, we turned to the individuals at the forefront and asked HR and business leaders to identify the single most important innovation, shift, transformation, or correction they hope to see in 2025. 

These insights provide a compelling roadmap for the year ahead, revealing the key areas where HR transformation is most essential.

Read on!

Beryl Krinsky
Founder & CEO, B.Komplete

HR Fully Participates in Wellness Programs

Our company B.Komplete partners with HR leaders across the country to develop and lead health and well-being programs. 

Regardless of the location, industry, or title, HR leaders are consistently overworked and do not get to fully participate themselves in the wellness programs. 

We have seen our HR partners plan out a Wellness Fair for their employees – including our chair massage, tasting tables, and wellness stations – the employees love it, and HR is running around trying to ensure all goes smoothly. 

We have seen HR schedule our chair massage and not take time to get a massage themselves. 

And we have also seen our HR partners schedule our onsite cooking demonstration and encourage all of the employees to get their samples before they eat. 

This selfless behavior is very kind; however, it doesn’t allow HR to improve their own health. 

In 2025, I would celebrate a positive shift in which HR fully participates in the corporate wellness programs! 

HR works tirelessly for their employees, and they deserve a massage, a delicious and healthy snack, and a way to reduce stress during the workday.

Tim Toterhi
CHRO, Plotline Leadership

Better Way to Surface Excellence

We need a paradigm shift in staffing. 

The profession has long been criticized for “who you know” bias – that relationships restrict opportunities and sometimes allow ill-qualified applicants to jump the line and secure a position. 

This still happens, of course, but a bigger problem has emerged – “candidate crowding.” 

Since the pandemic and the rise of virtual work, the number of applications received for each opening has proliferated to such a degree that even the most sophisticated HR technology is unable to sort the wheat from the chaff. 

Recruiters are overworked. Candidates are consistently ghosted. And now, ironically, the only effective way to hire or be hired is to embrace the traditional “know a guy” approach. 

It seems reasonable and fair to a degree when everyone understands the rules. 

Swimming in a sea of LinkedIn sameness is the surest way to drown. To survive, you must stand out. 

Unfortunately, for many, that means littering the virtual landscape with rehashed content and adopting a spray-and-pray application strategy. 

But all the clamoring for attention only creates more noise. And many competent, capable candidates are quietly going under. 

If HR needs anything in 2025, it needs a better way to surface excellence – to know the yet unknown.

Niki Ramirez
Founder & Principal Consultant, HRAnswers.org

HR Professionals Get Out from Behind Computers

In 2025, the single most important shift that I’d like to see made in HR would be for human resources professionals to get out from behind their computers. 

Getting out into the workforce will allow HR professionals to align their activities with business goals in a way that truly serves employees and the company’s interests. 

HR professionals can gain a much better understanding of how to act as a strategic partner when they have a working understanding of the business, and the activities that employees engage in day in and day out. 

Whether it is virtual, in-person, or hybrid: spend a week with accounting; learn about quarter-end or year end. Spend time working alongside marketing as they roll out their newest initiative. Ride along on an important sales call. Sit with various service and project professionals and observe their work, learn what they do, try it out for yourself even, where appropriate. 

In order to provide great service to employees and the organization, HR needs to be seen as, and act like an insider. 

Don’t wait to be invited. Get out there and deepen connections and understanding to maximize your contribution as HR professionals.

Tiffany Slater
CEO, HR TailorMade, LLC

HR Seen as Strategic Organizational Contributor

I want to see a shift in how teams view human resources. 

HR should be seen as a strategic, value-adding, and essential organizational contributor. 

Making this shift requires HR professionals to communicate value better—strategically—in a way that aligns with organizational goals and positively impacts organizational culture. 

We must shift to serving as culture curators rather than organizational police, ensuring long-term continuity of joyful work instead of implementing short-sighted tactics to check a box. 

I see the shift happening in pockets, but I would like for the trend to shift gears and move at warp speed.

Heath Gascoigne
Founder & CEO, HOBA Tech

HR Transforms into Strategic Enabler

In 2025, I would most want to witness a transformation in HR that elevates it from a tactical, administrative function to a strategic enabler of organizational success. 

At a US government agency, we helped achieve this by redefining the HR role through a collaborative, vision-driven approach. 

Traditionally, HR business partners were stuck in tactical tasks like managing leave balances and closing sick leave cases. This left no time for strategic activities like workforce planning, identifying skill gaps, or succession planning-essential elements for aligning HR with the organization’s goals.

We began by co-creating a vision: “Be the trusted strategic people partner that helps the business continually improve.” 

This vision was not only signed off by senior leadership but also underpinned by strategies in people, processes, technology, and data. 

Using our VSOM (Vision, Strategies, Objectives, and Measures) framework, we engaged the entire HR division, aligning efforts and expectations across the organization. 

Within days, the shift was palpable-HR was empowered to deliver strategic value, and the business recognized it as a partner in driving continuous improvement. 

This transformation underscored how a clear vision and collaborative alignment can redefine HR as a strategic capability.

Kerri Roberts
Founder & CEO, Salt & Light Advisors

Focus on Professionalism and Business Acumen

I think we’re going to see a big shift ‘back to basics’ in 2025. 

We’ve got a huge skills gap for middle managers as well as within general business acumen for young team members. 

I believe we’ll see a much-needed focus on things like professionalism, business writing, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills. 

We may even see events like leadership development retreats and leadership development programs come back to life!

Meghan Calhoun
Co-Founder & Director of Partner Success, Give River

Employee Recognition and Well-Being Take Center Stage

In 2025, I envision a paradigm shift where employee recognition and well-being take center stage in HR practices. 

Through my experiences founding Give River and developing the 5G Method, I learned that regular recognition boosts employee retention by 52%, significantly reducing turnover costs. This is supported by data showing that engaged employees cost companies far less in lost productivity.

Imagine companies integrating gamification and wellness initiatives custom to foster a culture of gratitude and growth. During a recent survey, companies investing in leadership development reported a return of $7 for every $1 spent, proving the importance of this shift. 

The key lies in making recognition and personal growth cornerstones of the workplace.

This approach is not just theory but something I’ve actively implemented, with Give River enabling teams to keep employees engaged and valued. 

By 2025, I hope more HR departments will adopt these proven methods, enabling healthier and happier work environments, strengthening community and team synergy.

Jeff Roberts
Founder & CEO, Innovation Vista

AI Enhances HR with Proactive Agent

The power of AI is really beginning to show itself in the HR function, with chatbots answering questions directly about policy, and some with the ability to cross-reference employee specifics to apply to that policy as well. 

This opens the door to a promising next step – a proactive “agent AI” that can suggest updates and point out opportunities for employees to maximize their benefits, position themselves for career growth, etc. 

Powering this with AI enables a level of personally tailored recommendations that would be cost-prohibitive to staff in HR departments. 

From maximizing PTO usage to suggesting training/certification opportunities which would qualify the employee for promotions or transfers, this capability would send a clear message to employees that HR is not only here when they have a question, but is actively investing to help them grow and enjoy their employment to the fullest. 

It is an exciting time to be working in HR IT!

Adnan Jiwani
Assistant Manager Digital Marketing, Ivacy VPN

HR Adopts Truly Employee-Centric Flexible Work Models

In 2025, I’d like to see HR fully adopt flexible work models that are truly employee-centric. 

While remote and hybrid work have become more common, many companies still struggle with making these arrangements effective in the long term. 

I’d love to see HR departments focus on creating systems that allow employees to design their own work schedules, with a strong emphasis on work-life balance and mental health. 

For instance, a company could offer employees the ability to choose their hours or work locations based on their personal needs and productivity peaks. 

This shift would promote greater job satisfaction, reduce burnout, and ultimately lead to better employee retention.

Carolyn Bennett Sullivan
CEO & Founder, SAVVY Heart LLC

HR Addresses the Fear and Anxiety of Transitions

According to the 2024 Deloitte human capital trends employees are now facing four major changes at work per year. 

Major change can cause anxiety, stress, self doubt, particularly when communication regarding the change isn’t forthcoming or transparent. 

This leads to low morale, higher sick days, loss and productivity, quiet quitting lack of trust, which has a direct impact on the company bottom line. 

In 2025, I’d like to see HR begin to address the fear and anxiety which routinely occurs during transition beyond stress relief.

Employees need support tools, and strategies to:

– Discuss their emotions in a safe space.

– Rewire their brains to create new thinking and habits which foster their personal and professional growth.

– Create connections with one another, which builds trust, collaboration, and encourages innovation.

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing their insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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Performance Management in 2025: Setting Goals for the Future of Work

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Performance Management in 2025: Setting Goals for the Future of Work

The workplace of 2025 is probably one of the most innovative and challenging yet. A mix of in-office, hybrid, and remote is only the beginning of a long list of myriad elements that shape this new workplace, bringing with it as many roadblocks as opportunities.

In this dynamic setting, where the traditional meets the new like never before, how do HR and management teams approach performance management? We all know an agile and holistic approach is just what’s required, but what are the performance goals to set for 2025 that will truly empower employees and drive organizational success?

We reached out to our HR and leadership community seeking answers, and received in return a range of performance management strategies to unlock the full potential of a workforce.

Read on!

Mindy Honcoop
Fractional HR Leader & Advisor, Agile in HR

Shift to Continuous Feedback and Development

For 2025, my goal in performance management is a shift to how organizations approach feedback-from a governance activity focused on documenting past performance to the daily practice of continuous feedback and forward-focused development. This cultural shift entails making the whole process one of building an environment for real, trusted conversations that develop people and impact business outcomes-less about compliance.

The traditional model of performance management can be reduced to a set of checkboxes: managers gather feedback, document it, and then deliver it in some formalized, transactional review. This approach misses the full potential of feedback as a tool for growth. I want to see performance management integrated into daily work rhythms where feedback is timely, relevant, and connected with the achievement of business goals.

It will work only where trust lives within the workplace. Employees and managers need an ecosystem in which they can say their words without judgment. The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team can be helpful, supported by DISC in working with teams to establish their method of communication and defining common terms when talking about these things.

A continuous feedback culture requires a change of heart in the way we perceive failure. Instead of treating a mistake as an occasion for blame, we have to view it as a valuable source of data that informs us in trying to work better with one another. When failure is embraced-not stigmatized-people will take risks and therefore be able to innovate.

Feedback needs to be viewed not as a formality but actionable data to help teams get better and align their efforts toward shared business goals. Feedback should be less about what went wrong in the past and more about how we can grow and succeed in the future. Treating feedback as a constant and desired source of information lets teams course-correct in real time and continuously improve collaboration and results.

Focusing on future outcomes, building trust, and making daily feedback normal as a positive driver of change-these are ways workplace ecosystems can be created where both the employees and the businesses prosper together.

Tim Toterhi
CHRO, Plotline Leadership

Simplify the Performance Management Process

To ruthlessly simplify the performance management process.

Some managers will make a 100k plus hiring decision after a 45-minute interview but agonize endlessly over a performance rating that, in some organizations, spells the difference between a 2% and 4% merit increase. It’s madness.

I’m on a mission to define high performance, negotiate meaningful rewards for reaching that level, and then demonstrate how to get there. I realize performance management is both art and science, but we’re not talking Picasso and particle physics. Clear communication, process rigor, and consistent action drive simplification.

Jenni Stone
HR Director, InfoMC, Inc.

Focus on Igniting Employee Potential

For 2025, my top performance management goal is to shift the focus from “managing performance” to “igniting potential.” I want to create a culture where employees feel empowered to experiment, fail forward, and stretch beyond their comfort zones without the fear of punitive evaluations. Instead of static metrics, I’m championing real-time feedback loops, personalized growth pathways, and team-driven success narratives. The goal is to make performance management a living, breathing process-one that sparks innovation, amplifies purpose, and turns every team member into a co-architect of the organization’s success. It’s not about hitting a target; it’s about creating a workplace where ambition thrives and results follow.

Meghan Calhoun
Co-Founder & Director of Partner Success, Give River

Cultivate Gratitude and Recognition

In 2025, my top performance management goal is to cultivate a culture of gratitude and recognition that drives employee engagement and well-being. At Give River, we’ve leveraged the power of appreciation through our Gratitude feature to boost productivity by up to 22% and reduce absenteeism by 37% among clients who actively engage with the platform.

For instance, by integrating gratitude and recognition seamlessly into daily workflows via platforms like Slack and MS Teams, teams witness a significant boost in morale and retention rates. When employees feel valued and recognized, turnover costs, which can range up to 200% of an annual salary, are drastically minimized.

From my diverse background, including hosting television shows and tackling high-pressure sales, I understand the emotional pulse of varied workplaces. My podcast, “Don’t Just Manifest, Megafest,” further reinforces the centrality of leveraging positive psychological frameworks, ensuring working moms and others strike a joyous balance between personal and professional demands.

Patty Miller
President & Sr. HR/Business Advisor, MillerNet HR & Business Solutions Inc.

Implement Real Employee Growth Metrics

Employee Growth Metrics – Real Ways to Measure:

  • Skill Acquisition: Implement a competency-based performance framework where employees self-assess their skills against role-specific benchmarks, supplemented by manager evaluations. Track progress in tools like LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, or internal training platforms.
  • Training Completion Rates: Monitor participation in professional development programs and correlate these with improved job performance or internal mobility. For example, if an employee completes a leadership development course, track their subsequent performance reviews or leadership opportunities.
  • Career Progression: Use HRIS systems to track role changes, promotions, or project lead assignments. Pair this with data on tenure and performance to identify patterns of growth and success.

Engagement and Alignment Surveys – Real Ways to Measure:

  • Pulse Surveys: Deploy brief, monthly or quarterly surveys focusing on specific aspects of engagement, such as the value of feedback or recognition. Tools like Gallup’s Q12 or Qualtrics provide customizable templates for engagement tracking.
  • Goal-Tracking Platforms: Use software like Lattice, Workday, or 15Five to align individual goals with organizational objectives. These platforms often provide dashboards to visualize how personal achievements contribute to team or company-wide priorities.
  • Recognition Analytics: Track the frequency and impact of recognition using tools like Bonusly or Slack integrations. Measure whether employees who receive regular recognition have higher engagement scores or performance metrics.

Dr. Pramod Solanki
Leadership Coach and Founder, Performance Enablers

Connect Everyone with Organizational Goals

I aspire to make two major changes in the way we manage performance.

1. Connect everyone – directly or indirectly, with the goals that the organization is trying to achieve.

Once we in the top team have agreed on what we plan to accomplish during 2025, we shall ensure the following:

A) Break it down to strategic actions required to achieve them.
B) Ensure clear ownership of those actions.
C) Since there are interdependencies across functions, monthly / quarterly reviews against the set goals will involve all the divisional heads.
D) It’ll be a dynamic plan and corrections in the goals / strategic actions will be made based on the experience / actual achievement for the month or quarter.

In a nutshell, the OKR approach will be followed.

2. The same process will be cascaded across the teams by the respective divisional heads. And more importantly, the managers will be trained and encouraged to keep reinforcing the linkage of the tasks being carried out by grassroot employees with the larger goals of the division and the organization.

Sangeetha Gururaj
Senior VP – People & Talent, Qualitest

Building a Constructive and Tough Feedback Culture

We need to look at leveraging performance management through a sharper lens now. It’s not only about achieving ratings or completion metrics. It’s now a priority to curate a performance-driven culture that a multi-generational workforce is able to connect with and be motivated by. We need to be inclusive and agile enough to suit hybrid work cultures. Managers need to be able to effectively assess and support remote employees.

It is now necessary to build a constructive and tough feedback culture to get the best potential and productivity from team members while ensuring that the right rewards and timely recognition are the foundation. Companies should also be very keen on leveraging the performance management process to assess skill gaps, identify potential future leaders, and create learning and development programs. After all, internal fulfillment through upskilling and grooming future leaders is the most cost-effective; retention of talent is the most efficient hiring!

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing their insights.

Do you wish to contribute to the next HR Spotlight article? Or is there an insight or idea you’d like to share with readers across the globe?

Write to us at connect@HRSpotlight.com, and our team will help you share your insights.

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